Hi All

Recently the clutch on my Ford Focus started slipping etc. Went to the garage and the guy told me that it would be a load of money that I don't have right now. On the way home there was a noise but I kept driving because I was in 5'th. When I slowed down and wanted to get into a lower gear it was impossible. Carried on in 5'th until it was safe to stop and switched off the car and tried the gears. It went into second and I thought it would be OK. It moved about m and then got stuck completely.

I towed to to my house and decided to do the clutch myself after seeing a video on Youtube. I replaced the clutch plate and disk but not the slave cylinder because it wasn't in the kit like I though it would be. I used a clutch alignment tool that I ordered from Amazon and torqued the screws like showed in video.

I completed the job on Sunday and struggled to get the transmission back on but managed after a while. Today I finished the job - I put in the transmission oil and bled the clucth like it was shown in internet.

I then replaced the gear selectors and everything and then decided to test it to see if everything is OK. I wasn't. I struggled to start it after a while it was OK. I then tried switching gears and it goes in fine but when I try to release the clutch the car start to die. I even tried it in neutral but as soon as I let go of the clutch it starts to die. I tried it for about 2 min and switched off the car. When I got to the bonnet there was smoke coming from the clutch area and it stank of burned clutch.

Can you please advise since I'm well and truly stuck here and desperate. Did I install the clucth wrong? Do I need to change the slave cylinder as well? Might it be that the gearbox is screwed?

Regards

The clutch centre plate has to be installed the correct way round, it says gearbox side and engine side on it, so you may have installed it backwards.

Hi Tom

 

Thanks for the response - The clutch plate was only marked on one side - it said gearbox side and I installed it with that side facing the engine.

 

Did I install it the wrong way round?

 

Regards

Sounds like the clutch plate is in wrong way to me..

 

actually, you say you put ‘gearbox side’ to the engine? Well it’s in the wrong way. Gearbox side needs to face the gearbox. 

What brand is the new clutch? I’ve seen one before with gearbox side on both sides  I can’t find the pic though. 

6 hours ago, Meyhos said:

Hi Tom

 

Thanks for the response - The clutch plate was only marked on one side - it said gearbox side and I installed it with that side facing the engine.

 

Did I install it the wrong way round?

 

Regards

Yeah, unless that's a typo, 'gearbox side' should be facing the gearbox as Stef says.

No easy fix unfortunately, you'll have to remove it again and turn it around.

Hi

Thanks for teh advice.

It is SACHS Brand.

The gearbox is in the engine isn't it? I installed it facing away fro the transmission housing.

 

Regards

No, the gearbox is the transmission.  

'Gearbox side' should be facing you when the clutch plate is fitted on the flywheel.

The gearbox is that big heavy lump you unbolted from the engine lol. 

Crap...

 

Then I installed it the wrong way round...

 

Well

 

I know everyone has to start learning somewhere but with this sort of stuff if it is your first time you really need to have someone there with you who knows what they are doing to show you the pitfalls to avoid them.  You were brave to embark up this on your own having not done it before.  having said all that it's the sort of thing I would done in my younger days.

 

Thanks isetta - Yeah it would have been ideal to have someone more expierienced to help but unfortunatly that wasn't possible.

At least I have some expierience now and will tackle the job tomorrow morning early and should hopefully have it done in a few hours... At least I have some more tools to help now ;)

Do you think I would have done dammage to the clutch in the brief time that I had it on or should it be OK?

Also I already refilled the transmission oil - can I drain it and reuse the oil or should I go buy some more?

Regards

You can reuse the gear oil as long as it's drained into a clean container.

I'd give the centre plate a quick visual check over but it'll probably be fine.

If it were mine I’d just ditch the oil and put new stuff in it. To me it’s not worth risking getting dirt in the oil to re use it for the sake of £20. 

6 hours ago, Meyhos said:

Thanks isetta - Yeah it would have been ideal to have someone more expierienced to help but unfortunatly that wasn't possible.

At least I have some expierience now and will tackle the job tomorrow morning early and should hopefully have it done in a few hours... At least I have some more tools to help now ;)

Do you think I would have done dammage to the clutch in the brief time that I had it on or should it be OK?

Also I already refilled the transmission oil - can I drain it and reuse the oil or should I go buy some more?

Regards

Hats off to you for tying this job    Good luck with the 2nd attempt 

7 minutes ago, Albert27 said:

Hats off to you for tying this job    Good luck with the 2nd attempt 

Indeed hats off, I wouldn't have tried it and I have always messed around with my older cars mechanically, but never a new clutch.

14 minutes ago, Stevesixty7 said:

Indeed hats off, I wouldn't have tried it and I have always messed around with my older cars mechanically, but never a new clutch.

There is nothing complicated about a standard clutch, it’s just a a little buried lol. 

Is it too early to add that you need to make sure you fit it the correct way though lol. 

24 minutes ago, stef123 said:

There is nothing complicated about a standard clutch, it’s just a a little buried lol. 

Is it too early to add that you need to make sure you fit it the correct way though lol. 

I feel for the guy though, all that effort to have to do it all again.

6 minutes ago, Stevesixty7 said:

I feel for the guy though, all that effort to have to do it all again.

The bolts will come out easier now lol.

but yes it is a fair bit of work to have to redo. 

Hi All

 

Spent the whole of yesterday trying to fix it. Got clutch out in no time and put it in the right way round. The struggled myself silly trying to get the transmission back in. Put everything back and then bled the clutch. Still no luck. The wheels won't even turn when I release the clutch. I am out of ideas and don't know what to do anymore! Any advice will be appreciated!!!!

 

Regards

So you can select a gear ok?  But when you lift the clutch in gear nothing happens at all?

Even if I'm in Neutral and let go of the clutch it is as if it is in gear and wants to stall.

Was that how it was before you done the clutch the first time or only since changing the clutch?

Same as before

It sounds like you might have a gearbox problem as well as the clutch tbh. 

 

I've just read this thread, wow clap clap. A massive hats off to you bud for giving it a go. I've done many clutches and boy it's time consuming so to do it twice is very brave. Did you ever get it sorted? Cheers.

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